This is how we roll and I cherish every minute of it! My Grant is 6 years old and sooooo full of love (ok, except for maybe his sister sometimes ;-) At times, I struggle with how to protect a heart that is as big as his because it often gets trampled on by the world.

My oldest is just entering the LOVER stage.  He has become so eager to please and is AMAZING with his baby brother, not so much with his 3 year old brother though.  While he strives to be a helper and do what is right, at times I can totally see the explorer come out in him.  He still throws fits when things don't go his way.  We are working on how to effectively communicate when he wants to do something using words and not a temper tantrum.  

So often (over the past year), I have seen the battle going on for his heart and I am saddened to think that this is only the beginning.  It breaks my heart to see him continue in the same sins (God must feel the same way about me!).  I am also reading Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp and it is teaching me how to apply Biblical instruction and correction that addresses the root of the matter, the heart! 

Both of your posts blessed me! Stephanie sharing that momma bear instinct with me and Allison reminding me of Ted Tripp. I too read Shepherding a Child's Heart about 3 years ago and LOVED it. Sadly, I've slipped a bit in applying it's principles but try. Which brought me back to the quote on page 35 of Wild Things..."If discipline, structure, and patience were establised in the Explorer stage and consistently enforced throughout the Lover stage, by this time most of what a Lover needs from adults in his life is mercy." This is the perfect example and challenge of blending these two books and being blessed by it! Best of luck to all of us :-)

I really appreciated the Wild Things list of tips at the end of the Lover chapter and look forward to incorporating the list of movies into our winter movie nights!